Film treating apparatus



Ap 1937- A. w. TONDREAU ET AL 2,077,931

' FILM TREATING APPARATUS a Filed Nov-. 25, 1935 Li Lil/" at: A l I I 1" l ll'lihlllihlil lll ll lil lilll ll I E QQNVENTORS La /2T W TONDPEAU [1K] F1950 W 6 GE m -2 .s BY M FE- ATTORNEY l I I Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILM TREATING APPARATUS poration of Delaware Application November 25, 1935, Serial N6. 51,456

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the processing of film in general and particularly to an apparatus for insuring uniform action of the treating solution upon the film by minimizing the effects of the chemical reaction compounds dragging along the film and adherence of spent portions of the treating solution to the film.

In developing motion picture film by causing it to pass continuously through the developing and fixing solutions, it has been found that the compounds caused by reaction between the film emulsion and the chemical developing solution tend to saturate or impregnate the portion of the solution immediately adjacent the surface of the film. This saturation lowers the efllciency of the solution thus delaying .the development of the film and causing uneven development.

Also, as the film moves through the solution, the

reaction compounds, caused by the reaction between the solution and the film emulsion, form on the surface of the film. These compounds tend to drag along the face of the film as it passes through the tank and thus produce longitudinal streaks. This drag of the chemical compounds is of especial importance along the sound track of a sound film where streakage produced by the chemical drag from a transparent portion toan opaque portion causes distortion in the reproduced sound. Uneven development of the film emulsion is further caused by eddy currents which form due to friction between the film surface and the adjacent .portions of the solution. Thus the surface portion or that portion immediately adjacent the film tends to travel along withthe film and prevent fresh portions of the solution from attacking the surface.

One object of the present invention is to prevent portions of the film treating solution adjacent the film surface from becoming saturated with the compounds of reaction while the film is progressing within the solution.

This is accomplished by providing agitating means which is reciprocated within the film treating solution to produce a surgingefiect in the film treating solution thus causing a circulation which allows fresh portions of the solution to contact the film surface at all times and to wash away the products or compounds of reaction from the film surface.

A further object of the invention is to insure complete agitation of the film treating solution.

This is accomplished by spacing the agitating mechanism along the length of the film path 55 within the treating tanks so that each portion of the solution adjacent the film surface may be thoroughly agitated.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision ofagitating means on either side of the film path. By moving one agitator means in an opposite direction from the other, a surging motion is imparted to the solution which causes it to surge from one side of the tank to the other across the path of film travel.

More particularly describing the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view through a film treating apparatus embodying a preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the film agitating device and is taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view and is taken along theline 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, vertical guide members I, 2, and 3 comprise supports for a portion of a film moving device generally indicated at 4 which is disclosed and claimed in a co-pending application of Robert L. Geib, Serial No. 51,417, filed November 25, 1935. Members I, 2, and 3 are provided within a film treating solution tank 5 and are secured at their lower ends by cross bar 6 and at their upper ends by cross bar 1. Spool heads 8 and 9 are mounted on the members I, 2, etc., and are provided with rollers l0 and H placed in coaxial relation to each other. The cinematographic film I2 is fed from a supply reel l3 which is journaled in a bracket 13' secured to a wall l4 and is passed through a slot I5 in wall l4 from whence it passes over a driven sprocket i6 and thence over the various rollers l0 and II of the upper I heads l9 and 20 (shown partly broken away in Fig. 1). The upper spool heads 8 and 19 are driven through a gear box 21 by means of a drive shaft 22 extending along the length of the film treating machine. Drive shaft 22 also drives the roller. l1 and sprocket l8 through suitable gearing (not shown) in the gear box 2|. As seen in Fig. 3, the drive shaft 22 is driven through a worm gear arrangement 23 by a suitable motor 24. Shaft 22 also drives the film sprocket 16 through a bevel gear arrangement 25 (Fig. 3).

Agitating devices generally indicated at 26 and 21. on provided within the tank 5 on either side of the film loops 52 (Fig. 2) formed by the film passing in a helical path over the upper and lower spool heads9 and 9. These agitating members 26 and 21 each comprise a pair of vertically extending reciprocal bars 28 and 29 (Figs. 1 and 3) which have secured therealong in spaced relation agitating members or paddles 30 and 3i. Both of the agitating devices 26 and are slideably supported adjacent their upper ends by guide bearings 32 and 33 secured at the upper end of the treating tank 5. The lower ends of the agitators 26 and 21 are pivotally secured on either end of a connecting lever 34. Lever 34 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends at 36 upon a bracket 36 which in turn is secured upon the cross rail 6. One of the agitating members, i. e. 21, is adapted to be reciprocated by a ,crank mechanism generally indicated at 31. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that as the agitating member 21 with its paddles 3| is moved in one direction, the other member 26 with its paddles 30 will be moved in the opposite direction, thus causing a surging motion of the solution from one side of the tank to the other across the path of the film. This action will insure complete circulation of the solution and also prevent the solution immediately adjacent the surface of the film from becoming saturated or impregnated with the reaction compounds formed by the interaction between the emulsion of the film and the elements of the solution. Further, the drag of the chemical reaction compounds along the surface of the film will be mimirnized due to the fact that these compounds will be more readily dissipated within the solution.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, we will describe the mechanism for reciprocating the agitating members 26 and 21. A pair of brackets 38 and 39 are secured between each pair of guide members (I and 2), upon the cross piece 1 and a second lower cross shaft 40 which is also secured to the guide members I and 2. Brackets 39 and 39 have bearings 4| thereon in which is journaled an agitating shaft 42. Shaft 42 ,(Fig. 1) is driven through a worm gear arrangement 43 by a suitable motor 44 secured to the wall i4. Cranks 45 are provided on the agitating shaft 42 between each set of brackets 39 and 39. A connecting rod 46 is journaled at its upper end upon the crank 45 and pivotally supports at its lower end a pin 41 provided intermediate the ends of a lever 49. Lever 43 is pivotally supported at its rear end between the brackets 36 and 39 asat 49 and pivotally carries at its forward end a link 50. Link 50'is secured to the upper ends of the rods 28 and 29 forming the agitating member 21. Thus it will be seen that rotation of the shaft 42 will cause a reciprocatory movement to be imparted to the agitating member 21 and consequently, through the lever 34, the second agitating member 26. Preferably, the agitating members 26 and 21 are kept in constant movement during the operation of the film treating machine. Further, this agitating movement is preferably done in a relatively slow motion so as to prevent churning of the solution at its upper level and the consequent oxidation or breaking down of the solution.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A photographic film treating apparatus comprising a liquid containing tank, means for passing a film to be treated vertically through said tank in a pre-determined path, a plurality of liquid agitating members in said tank spaced away from and along the pathvof the film, and means for actuating all of said members simultaneously to produce similar movement of all the liquid in said tank.

2. A photographic film treating apparatus comprising a liquid containing tank, means for passing a film to be treated vertically through said tank, a plurality of liquid agitating members spaced vertically throughout said tank and away from said film and means for actuating said members vertically to produce similar movement of all the liquid in said tank.

3. A photographic film treating apparatus comprising a liquid containing tank, means for passing a cinematographic film lengthwise through said tank in a pre-determined path,.a plurality of liquid agitating members spaced along and away fromthe path of said film and means for simultaneously moving all of said members lengthwise of said film to simultaneously impart similar movement to all the liquid in said tank with respect to all portions of the film in said tank.

4. A photographic film treating apparatus comprising a liquid containing tank, means for passing a cinematographic film in a series of vertical elongated loops through said tank, a plurality of liquid agitating members spaced along and away from the length of said loops and means for reciprocating said members along the length of said loops to provide similar movement to all the liquid in said tank with respect to all portions of the film in said tank.

5. A photographic film treating apparatus comprising a liquid containing tank, means for passing a cinematographic film lengthwise through said tank in a pre-determined path, a plurality of agitator means in said tank on opposite sides of the path of said film, means for moving one of said agitator means in one direction, and means for moving the other of said agitator means in another direction to produce similar turbulence of all the liquid in said tank with respect to all portions of the film in said tank.

6. A photographic film treating apparatus comprising a liquid containing tank, means for passing the film in a series of elongated loops through said tank, a plurality of agitating means spaced along said tank on one side of the path of said film, means for moving said agitating means in one direction, a second plurality of agitating means spaced along said tank on the other side of the path of said film and means for moving said last mentioned agitating means in an opposite direction to the direction of said first mentioned agitating means whereby the liquid in said tank is caused to surge across the path of said film at substantially all points thereof.

7. A photographic film treating apparatus comprising a liquid containing, tank, means for passing a cinematographic film in a pre-determined path through said tank, a pair of agitating devices in said tank each device including a plurality of agitators spaced lengthwise of said film and away therefrom, means for moving one of said devices in one direction and means for moving the other of said devices in an opposite direction whereby a surging motion of all the liquid is maintained between agitating devices.

8. In a photographic film treating apparatus having a liquid film treatingtank and means for passing a film to be treated through said tank in a pre-determined path, an agitating device embodying: a pair of agitating members, each member having a plurality of agitators spaced therealong, a connecting lever pivotally connected to one end of each of said agitator members, a pivotal support for said lever at the bottom of said tank, and means for reciprocating one of said members at the other end thereof whereby the other of said members is made to travel in an opposite direction.

9. In a photographic film treating apparatus having a liquid film treating tank and means for 10 progressing a cinematographic film to be treated through said tank in a pre-determined path, an agitating device embodying: agitating elements having a plurality 'of agitators spaced therealong in said tank on opposite sides or the path of the illm, a connecting lever, pivotal connections 1 between said lever and one end oi! each of said agitating elements, a pivotal support at the bottom .oi! said tank for said lever intermediate said pivotal. connections, and means for reciprocatingonetoi said agitating elements at one end thereof whereby.- said agitating elements move in opposite directions and whereby all the liquid injsaid tank surges from one of said agitating elements to the other of said agitating elements across the'path of all of said films in said tank.

ALBERT W. 'IONDREAU. FRED W. GAGE. 

